Minuet Caprice
by Feral Phoenix
Summary: Our heroes arrive in a desolate landscape of muted grays, Pist's final challenge before they can reach Teros. But when a mysterious power enchants every human on Jane, the only ones left to save the day are Moogle Kupo and Chobi... oh, dear...


Minuet Caprice

Disclaimer: I don't own FF:U, chocobos, moogles, angstcomedy, or any number of other random things involved with this fic. Don't sue me, 'kay? It wouldn't be very nice.

**NOTE: **This story takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the main storyline, but since Kupo is one of the main characters, there will likely be allusions to or outright mention of spoilers for FF:U Before, the rare drama CD about Kaze, Kumo, and Aura's battle with Chaos twelve years ago. If you don't want to be spoiled, please visit Worlds for the translation/summary, or go to Worlds or Silver-Etude (the Kumo shrine) to download the contents of the CD.

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_Prologue_

It was late evening that day—though it made no difference, for the halls and chambers of Gaudium were always cast in dimly lit gloom—as Shiroi Kumo, known to most as Makenshi, arrived in the castle's audience hall.

He was a tall, slender young man dressed in white, armed with a long gray-and-white sword and a brace of glass bottles belted at his waist. His softly lashed, pale green eyes were partially closed, and his face held little to no expression; his soft, full lips formed a soft line, the same way they always did, and his fine brows traced a perfect uncaring arch. Despite his tender age, he was almost completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever, though any other boy in his late teens would have been hard-pressed even to keep his silence in this place.

Whatever Kumo felt at that moment, he kept to himself, but a close observer would've noticed that his steps dragged slightly as he made his way down the wide bloodred carpet with its shabby gold trim towards the frieze on the opposite wall and the group of evil beings waiting for him there. There was a slight line of tension in his shoulders, and a tautness to his hands, but that was all.

"What have you been _doing _all this time, Makenshi?" the scornful child's voice echoed through the room, resounding between the pillars and straight up to the vaulted ceiling.

Kumo did not reply. He took a few more steps, then stopped where he stood, staring dispassionately ahead.

The Earl was scowling at him from his hoverchair, kicking his booted toes in the air. "Why didn't you go finish those idiotic rebels off when Pist had them trapped in the last cube of the Ocean Puzzle, huh? You're supposed to be fighting the Black Wind for us, _Makenshi!"_

Kumo still did not reply.

"Hmm, maybe 'Kenshi-chan is slipping a little?" Herba cooed from where she leaned against the Earl's perch, pouting her poisonous purple lips and gazing at Kumo with cruel amusement.

"Of course, all of Gaudium owes you a debt for your actions against the enemy's submarine not long ago, and yet…" This from Oscha, the Earl's shadowy advisor—the boneless, wiggling puppetmaster who seemed to be the real force behind Gaudium's power. "You have been lax in your duties of late, Makenshi-sama. Even if you are one of the Four Lords of Gaudium, rank does not give you the privilege of freedom…"

"…" Kumo gave him one cold glance, then looked away. Of all the cruel servants of Chaos, _that one _above all others would always remain unforgiven.

"You need to remember your place, Makenshi," the Earl said, smirking. "Wouldn't you say? How do _you _think we should deal with this little problem, hmmmm?"

Kumo drew a long breath and closed his eyes. The response was rote, but apparently that did not make it any easier for him to force out.

"My life is yours. My life, and my body. You may…" One slight hesitation, one moment where his cool voice faltered just slightly. "You may do with me as you will."

"Hmph." The monster in the child's body leered, then the Earl got down from his chair. "Makenshi, you're coming with me. As for you two—check in with Pist and make sure he's not getting too far ahead of himself now. If he won't shut up about this new cube of the Ocean Puzzle, we better make sure it works."

"Of _course, _Your Excellency," Oscha said, wriggling with delight and bowing low. "We will make certain in your stead."

"Make sure not to wear him out _too _much, now, Your Excellency," Herba teased with a flirtatious wink. "We _do _still need to have him in condition to fight, just in case."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The Earl turned and marched imperiously down a side corridor. "Makenshi, follow me."

There was a moment where Kumo might have trembled, but after a brief pause, he bowed his head, closed his eyes, and did as he was bid.

---

Dimensions away though she was, Fabula still reached out and lightly touched Kumo's image within the blue crystal sphere she used to scry.

She couldn't save him. She couldn't reach out to him and take him away from that place, no matter how badly she wanted to. The fact that to do so was well within her power made no difference whatsoever, and knowing that _hurt._ What she _could _do was continue to watch, so that whether Kumo knew it or not there was at least one person who loved him was with him through his darkest moments.

And so, she watched silently, unflinchingly. The horrors that Chaos was capable of never ceased to disgust her. That poor child…

When it was over, Fabula sighed and cleared the scry, murmuring a spell that would bring her focus to the group of wanderers locked into Pist's cruel trap.

"To break free of comfortable illusions takes courage and strength of heart," she said aloud, shaping the air around the crystal with her hands and scattering visions of the past as the faces of those opposing Chaos took shape beneath the clear blue glass. "However, as your goal draws near, so too do the trials ahead of you grow in danger. Those among you who still have your mettle to prove will be tested…"

The scry changed from the images of the Comodeen to a slightly hazy picture of Kumo, lying bloody and bandaged in his bed—thankfully asleep—as Crux floated into view, then pulled the blankets up to his shoulders lovingly.

Fabula smiled.

"And you shall have your part to play, as well…"

Her crystal filled with muted tones of gray—darker grays in a dismal landscape, with lighter flecks of gray raining from the colorless skies. Fabula considered it for a moment, resting her face on the heel of her hand.

"The danger _will _steepen, but… for the despair you encounter, you can match it with the greatest of all weapons…" Shifting again, she steepled her fingertips over the crystal, watching it go dark. _"Hope…"_

(TBC)


End file.
